A Year at the Chateau
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- Create Date：2023-03-22 10:19:31
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Dick Strawbridge
- ISBN：1399608819
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Summary
Like many couples， Dick and Angel had long dreamed of living in France， but where others might settle for a modest bolthole in the French countryside， the Strawbridges fell in love with a 19th-century fairytale château， complete with 45 rooms， seven outbuildings， 12 acres of land and its own moat。
Throwing caution to the wind， Dick and Angel swapped their two-bedroom flat in East London for an abandoned and derelict castle in the heart of the Loire valley and embarked on the adventure of a lifetime with their two young children Arthur and Dorothy。
Sharing their full journey for the first time， A Year at the Château follows Dick and Angel from when they first moved to France in the depths of winter and found bedrooms infested with flies， turrets inhabited by bats， the wind rattling through cracked windows， and just one working toilet， which flushed into the moat， through to the monumental efforts that went into readying the château for their unforgettable wedding and their incredibly special first Christmas。
Along the way we'll read glorious descriptions of rural life in France， with charming characters， delicious food and wonderful seasonal produce， together with the extraordinary list of renovations and restorations Dick and Angel completed， many of which were never shown on TV。
As warm and entertaining as their much-loved show， A Year at the Château is a truly irresistible story of adventure and heart， epic ambitions and a huge amount of hard graft。
Throwing caution to the wind， Dick and Angel swapped their two-bedroom flat in East London for an abandoned and derelict castle in the heart of the Loire valley and embarked on the adventure of a lifetime with their two young children Arthur and Dorothy。
Sharing their full journey for the first time， A Year at the Château follows Dick and Angel from when they first moved to France in the depths of winter and found bedrooms infested with flies， turrets inhabited by bats， the wind rattling through cracked windows， and just one working toilet， which flushed into the moat， through to the monumental efforts that went into readying the château for their unforgettable wedding and their incredibly special first Christmas。
Along the way we'll read glorious descriptions of rural life in France， with charming characters， delicious food and wonderful seasonal produce， together with the extraordinary list of renovations and restorations Dick and Angel completed， many of which were never shown on TV。
As warm and entertaining as their much-loved show， A Year at the Château is a truly irresistible story of adventure and heart， epic ambitions and a huge amount of hard graft。
Reviews
Kathleen
，
If you are a fan of the multi season popular reality show Escape to the Chateau， A Year at the Chateau will be a delicious gift to you。 If you haven’t followed the adventures of the Strawbridge family as they restore the crumbling Chateau-de-la-Motte Husson， you’ll enjoy the story of how， over the course of a year， Dick and Angel make their new home livable。 For “livable” is not how they found their forty-five room country home。 After much cleaning （Angel screamed and left the room）， the Strawbr If you are a fan of the multi season popular reality show Escape to the Chateau， A Year at the Chateau will be a delicious gift to you。 If you haven’t followed the adventures of the Strawbridge family as they restore the crumbling Chateau-de-la-Motte Husson， you’ll enjoy the story of how， over the course of a year， Dick and Angel make their new home livable。 For “livable” is not how they found their forty-five room country home。 After much cleaning （Angel screamed and left the room）， the Strawbridges had one working toilet。 It drained into the moat that surrounded the chateau。 The original stove discovered in the kitchen was not the antique wonder they believed it to be。 “It has truly been held together by the thin layer of enamel。 Residence laws in France， complicated by Brexit， are complex， as are shop hours， seasonal foods， deliveries， legends （the wolf） and the language itself。 Through all the work that precedes their romantic wedding and first Christmas at home， the love and humor Dick and Angel share shine through。 A Year at the Chateau is pure delight。 5 stars。Thank you to NetGalley， Hachette Book Group and Dick and Angel Strawbridge for this ARC。 。。。more
Sheila
，
I received a free copy of， A Year at the Chateau， by Dick and Angel Strawbridge， from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review。 Dick and Angel decide to leave London and move to France and buy a chateau。 This book has entries from both Angel and Dick。 It has monthly updates on their progress， updating the chateau。 This is a really revealing book at Dick and Angel's new life in France。 Very interesting in what it takes to update a chateau。 I received a free copy of， A Year at the Chateau， by Dick and Angel Strawbridge， from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review。 Dick and Angel decide to leave London and move to France and buy a chateau。 This book has entries from both Angel and Dick。 It has monthly updates on their progress， updating the chateau。 This is a really revealing book at Dick and Angel's new life in France。 Very interesting in what it takes to update a chateau。 。。。more
Bonnie DeMoss
，
I am a big fan of the tv show Escape to the Chateau， so I already knew what to expect。 Dick and Angel Strawbridge go into even more depth on their first year in the Chateau de la Motte-Husson， which they bought in pretty rough condition， and renovated on a budget。 The book is as delightful as the show， and I really enjoyed it。 Dick and Angel take turns describing their experiences in the first year， so we get both of their perspectives。 Angel approaches it as a creative， artistic person， and Di I am a big fan of the tv show Escape to the Chateau， so I already knew what to expect。 Dick and Angel Strawbridge go into even more depth on their first year in the Chateau de la Motte-Husson， which they bought in pretty rough condition， and renovated on a budget。 The book is as delightful as the show， and I really enjoyed it。 Dick and Angel take turns describing their experiences in the first year， so we get both of their perspectives。 Angel approaches it as a creative， artistic person， and Dick approaches it as an Engineer。 Together they make a great pair， both in life and in renovating castles。Anyone who enjoys home renovation will enjoy this book， and the tv series。I received a free digital copy of this book via Netgalley。 My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own。 。。。more
Hallie
，
As I am a fan of the TV series， Escape to the Chateau， I enjoyed this book。 I will note for other fans of the show that to a certain extent， you will be familiar generally with what happened when the Strawbridges bought their dilapidated French chateau in the countryside and began to renovate it。 However， I think there is enough detail in here to provide even more insight into what life was like in that difficult first year with so much that needed to be done leading up to Dick and Angel's weddi As I am a fan of the TV series， Escape to the Chateau， I enjoyed this book。 I will note for other fans of the show that to a certain extent， you will be familiar generally with what happened when the Strawbridges bought their dilapidated French chateau in the countryside and began to renovate it。 However， I think there is enough detail in here to provide even more insight into what life was like in that difficult first year with so much that needed to be done leading up to Dick and Angel's wedding。The book alternates between Dick and Angel's writing， and there is plenty of humor and interesting detail about the work involved in the renovation process。 The best part was detailing all of the delicious French food they experienced， with some of their own recipes peppered in。 I was supremely jealous （and hungry） while reading this。 There was also a sneak peek of their next book， Living at the Chateau， which carries on after that first year。 This was an entertaining read and I would continue reading about all of the Strawbridges' adventures in France。Netgalley provided me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Elaine
，
A moderately interesting but poorly written memoir about the Strawbridge family and the twists and turns their lives take when they purchase and renovate a chateau
Jackie
，
Angel and Dick Strawbridge have achieved what a lot of people would love to: owning a French chateau and enjoying an idyllic （but sometimes comically chaotic） life in the country。 This book delves into their first year in the chateau， including renovations， discoveries， adventures， and their wedding。 Anyone who enjoyed their television series Escape to the Chateau will love this book。
Jackie
，
Angel and Dick Strawbridge have achieved what a lot of people would love to: owning a French chateau and enjoying an idyllic （but sometimes comically chaotic） life in the country。 This book delves into their first year in the chateau， including renovations， discoveries， adventures， and their wedding。 Anyone who enjoyed their television series Escape to the Chateau will love this book。
Liralen
，
If you've ever dreamed about buying a rambling old castle， here you go—vicarious kicks！ When the Strawbridges started looking for a place in France， they initially had their eyes set on a standard house。。。but when they realized that they could rehabilitate something much grander， they switched tracks and eventually ended up buying the Château de la Motte-Husson， a dilapidated 47-room castle that hadn't been lived in for some 40 years。This is more or less what I was hoping for when I read Downton If you've ever dreamed about buying a rambling old castle， here you go—vicarious kicks！ When the Strawbridges started looking for a place in France， they initially had their eyes set on a standard house。。。but when they realized that they could rehabilitate something much grander， they switched tracks and eventually ended up buying the Château de la Motte-Husson， a dilapidated 47-room castle that hadn't been lived in for some 40 years。This is more or less what I was hoping for when I read Downton Shabby， I think—a light read that is chock full of personality and， you know， castle。 The Strawbridges documented their chateau journey for television， and even without having seen the series it's clear to me that they must have made good television。 The whole book feels upbeat and vibrant， with a fairly hefty dose of whimsy。A Year at the Château covers just that—the first year of ownership and renovations and， finally， their first event。 I'm hoping that Living the Château Dream will also be more widely published so that I can read about the adventures and renovations that followed。。。because I don't want to renovate a castle of my own （let alone do TV shows to make it possible—no shade， and I'm delighted that other people are doing it， but being on television is not any version of my dream job！）， but I do want to read about the adventure that is other people renovating a castle。 Also， foodies take note: there are plenty of recipes to spur your imagination。 I'm low-key the opposite of a foodie， but even I flagged a recipe or two to test out this summer。My wish list is short: pictures！ floor plan！ The end。 I read an ARC， so I'm optimistic that there will be many pictures in the final version。 I'm always so curious about floor plans with this sort of thing， too， because they let me better imagine how spaces might have been used back when the building was built。。。or now that it's been repurposed。 Or， in twenty or thirty years， maybe one of the Strawbridges' kids will write a book about what it was like growing up in a castle in the 21st century。。。Thanks to the authors and publisher for providing a review copy through NetGalley。 。。。more
Karen Fisher
，
What a great read！ Full disclaimer I am an avid fan of the show。 Reading about their first year was astounding。 I laughed more than I expected to。 Such an adventurous thing to do。 The chateaux was in desperate need of love and the results are amazing。
Kristina
，
I am a fan of the show which made me eager to read A Year at the Chateau by Dick and Angel Strawbridge。 The author’s write the way they speak。 Angel is enthusiastic while Dick is more reserved。 You can tell that they both love their family and their chateau。 I like their easy-going writing style。 I enjoyed reading how the Strawbridge’s found their property and the beginning of their repairs。 They are a hardworking pair with creative ideas。 While Dick can do the manual bits and come up with cleve I am a fan of the show which made me eager to read A Year at the Chateau by Dick and Angel Strawbridge。 The author’s write the way they speak。 Angel is enthusiastic while Dick is more reserved。 You can tell that they both love their family and their chateau。 I like their easy-going writing style。 I enjoyed reading how the Strawbridge’s found their property and the beginning of their repairs。 They are a hardworking pair with creative ideas。 While Dick can do the manual bits and come up with clever ways to make items （or engineer gizmos）， Angel is the idea person。 She is also the creative one。 Their love for one another is quite apparent。 I thought the book was a good supplement to the show。 It gives readers a more in-depth look at their projects。 They provide facts about France and how living in France differs from England。 You can tell the Strawbridge’s love food （they are not picky like me）。 Their vivid descriptions are mouthwatering。 I love that they included their wedding in the book as well as Christmas。 I cannot imagine taking on such a massive remodeling project with two small children。 We get a sense of Dick and Angel as well as their personalities。 There are some repetitive details （a result of the dual points-of-view） and some of the renovation details were a bit dry （the only two negatives）。 Overall， I enjoyed A Year at the Chateau。 I like the humor scattered throughout the story。 I love a book that makes me laugh （and after the last couple of years， we need more humor in our lives）。 A Year at the Chateau is a delight with a crumbling chateau， a creative vision， mouthwatering morsels， curious children， generous relatives， jubilant nuptials， and a cheery Christmas。 。。。more
Whitney
，
This was such a lovely book！ It was wonderful to relive Dick & Angel’s first year of owning the chateau and to get a deeper look at what went into the initial restoration。
Louise
，
Really insightful book to read
Adrian
，
Delightful！ If you love the Strawbridges， this book is for you。
Julie
，
I loved this and became thoroughly engrossed。 After following all of their adventures on the television， this book was the next step。Not only do I admire their spirit and hard -working ethic， it is so lovely to see their respect and love for each other and those held dear to them。Yes， there were a few minor editing mistakes but this all added to the quirky nature that many of us have come to know and love。 ♥️I look forward to watching the next series here in the UK。
Hannah
，
I read this at the start of 2021， when life wasn’t moving quickly and people turned inward and focused on themselves and their castles。 I enjoyed this book for the renovation inspiration and determination to achieve no matter the odds using witty and creative thinking。 Thanks you to Dick and Angel for sharing their adventures as a couple。
Igenlode Wordsmith
，
I wondered how much fresh material would actually be in here compared to the original programmes - there was a surprising amount that didn't make it onto the screen， it transpired， especially at the beginning。 Most fascinating to me was the revelation that the original family owners， Jacques and Isabelle de Baglion （who were quite understandably not prepared to be featured in the series）， had actually retained ownership of the entire surrounding estate （where they invite Dick to join them on a h I wondered how much fresh material would actually be in here compared to the original programmes - there was a surprising amount that didn't make it onto the screen， it transpired， especially at the beginning。 Most fascinating to me was the revelation that the original family owners， Jacques and Isabelle de Baglion （who were quite understandably not prepared to be featured in the series）， had actually retained ownership of the entire surrounding estate （where they invite Dick to join them on a hunt）， and were simply living in the farmhouses next door all the time！ There was also a dramatic car crash that didn't get filmed， and problems with local tradesmen which explained why all the work in the series seemed to rely on getting English expatriates in， something that had always struck me as a bit odd when moving to a foreign country。。。。 The unorthodox format with alternate contributions in different typefaces works surprisingly effectively; you can definitely hear their individual 'voices'， and there is enough overlap to show us both perspectives but without simply repeating everything。 I enjoyed the loving descriptions of obtaining French produce and of the difference in food culture （far more seasonal produce）， but none of the included （simple） recipes， from quince cheese to Hollandaise sauce， turned out to be anything I was ever likely to make in practice。 Towards the end of the book it did start to feel a bit thin， mainly because that part of the year was totally dominated by the wedding plans， which had already been covered extensively on screen -- this was the first point at which I ended up feeling there was less detail on the page than what I remembered from the broadcast。 Dick points out at the end that during this entire period they had no idea if or when the "Escape to the Chateau" material was actually going to get broadcast， and certainly no idea that it would become a hit， so they had to proceed on the assumption that there would be no assistance from that quarter。 。。。more
Nicola
，
Absolutely loved this book。 You can tell its been written with love！
Gail Danks
，
Excellent read
Pamela Ramirez
，
Loved this book！ I have watched the series。。。and now with this background information， I am up for watching it again。 A fairy tale ending in a fairy tale setting。
Kiri Falls
，
This was a gift and I had few expectations， but it ended up being a warm and fun read。 I found myself looking forward to sitting back down with Dick and Angel every evening to hear how the chateau renovations were coming along。 The switching between their perspectives took a few pages to get used to， but it added to the charm to hear the story in their own distinctive voices。 （Although I wanted to put my editor's hat sometimes - but could forgive that because it did feel like I was having a chat This was a gift and I had few expectations， but it ended up being a warm and fun read。 I found myself looking forward to sitting back down with Dick and Angel every evening to hear how the chateau renovations were coming along。 The switching between their perspectives took a few pages to get used to， but it added to the charm to hear the story in their own distinctive voices。 （Although I wanted to put my editor's hat sometimes - but could forgive that because it did feel like I was having a chat with them。） If you like the TV show / stories about moving to a foreign country / renovation and makeover shows， you'll enjoy it。 （I'm all three！） 。。。more
georgie_porgie
，
I did love this， but not as much as I was hoping to love it。 I liked hearing from both Dick and Angel， neatly signalled by whether the text was emboldened or not， although there were quite a few typos and bad edits of sentences that had only been half-rewritten。 This book is definitely varied， exploring Dick and Angel's journey that led them to wanting to buy a chateau， as well as the undertaking of this massive DIY project alongside the struggles of cultural and linguistic barriers， adjusting t I did love this， but not as much as I was hoping to love it。 I liked hearing from both Dick and Angel， neatly signalled by whether the text was emboldened or not， although there were quite a few typos and bad edits of sentences that had only been half-rewritten。 This book is definitely varied， exploring Dick and Angel's journey that led them to wanting to buy a chateau， as well as the undertaking of this massive DIY project alongside the struggles of cultural and linguistic barriers， adjusting to life in France away from family and friends， financial strain， and balancing all of this with raising children and family time。 I personally would've liked more focus on the specifics of doing up the chateau， but it was very enjoyable nonetheless。 Even with all Dick's engineering and DIY expertise， this maintained the encouraging nyone-can-do-it attitude。 Awe-inspiring。 。。。more
Bec
，
Loved reading about their year and start
Rob Spencer
，
I loved watching their tv series and this book is an interesting and informative companion to the series。 My only criticism is the too frequent listing of what they ate and where。 Perhaps if you have a particular passion for food and cooking it may have been interesting but for someone like me who definitely only eats to live I found this somewhat annoying and I quickly learned to skip these details。
Irene Roth
，
I love the show Escape to the Chateau， and it was fun reading all the behind the scenes stuff that went on their first year。 This couple is an amazing combination of creative engineering， decorating， cooking， hosting， gardening！
Katy
，
I thoroughly enjoyed this book。 I have to admit I am a fan of the TV show so it was a no brainer to read the book。 I have watched the first season of Escape to the Chateau， and many of the events that happened in the TV show are visited in the book， but with more detail and more heart。 You really get an inside perspective that the camera did not show。 I loved that the book is written in 2 voices， Dick’s and Angels， this is shown in the book by normal and bold print。 I found as I read I could hea I thoroughly enjoyed this book。 I have to admit I am a fan of the TV show so it was a no brainer to read the book。 I have watched the first season of Escape to the Chateau， and many of the events that happened in the TV show are visited in the book， but with more detail and more heart。 You really get an inside perspective that the camera did not show。 I loved that the book is written in 2 voices， Dick’s and Angels， this is shown in the book by normal and bold print。 I found as I read I could hear each of their voices in my head as I read… it was a really enjoyable format to read。 The book is broken up by months and the challenges they faced each month。 Whether it be the bitter cold of Winter， Dick travelling to America for paid work commitments that he had to honour， the unforgiving stone walls that took all number of implements to break through， lack of skilled trades， the language barriers and the building codes of France… there were many and numerous challenges Dick & Angel faced… but as Angel & Dick I’m sure will attest， they love a challenge and the challenges they met…。 Just to add insult to the pressures of getting the Chateau liveable， a November wedding was the goal they had set themselves to have the Château ready for guests…。 Do yourself a favour， if you love the Strawbridge family and the Château adventures， go back in time an relive the amazing first year that was the beginning of what we all know and love as Escape to the Château… 。。。more
Tansy Roberts
，
This TV show is my complete happy place， it's been an escape from stress whenever I need to disappear somewhere cozy over the last year or so， since I first discovered it。 I really enjoyed this book！ （I have the ebook edition） Dipping back into the first year of the Chateau journey， this was such a pleasant way to re-experience the stories of their great adventure in prose form。 I love the format， the way that Angel & Dick keep dropping & picking up the story from their own POVs， responding to e This TV show is my complete happy place， it's been an escape from stress whenever I need to disappear somewhere cozy over the last year or so， since I first discovered it。 I really enjoyed this book！ （I have the ebook edition） Dipping back into the first year of the Chateau journey， this was such a pleasant way to re-experience the stories of their great adventure in prose form。 I love the format， the way that Angel & Dick keep dropping & picking up the story from their own POVs， responding to each other and so on。 This book feels like reading long， detailed letters from dear friends who recently moved to another country。 It's warm and charming and there are RECIPES and i got weirdly teared up at the wedding chapter， it's just a whole lot of escapist joy。 。。。more
Andrea
，
Better as a show than a book。
Joyce
，
Very enjoyable。 They are such a lovely family， living a fairytale life
John Barclay
，
This book is exactly what you think it will be， fun， chatty， optimistic and charming。 It's not deep， but it's real and interesting and if occasionally it gets too cute or chummy you don't mind as you knew it would be like that going in。 This book is exactly what you think it will be， fun， chatty， optimistic and charming。 It's not deep， but it's real and interesting and if occasionally it gets too cute or chummy you don't mind as you knew it would be like that going in。 。。。more
Andy
，
an amazing account month by month of their adventures in restoring a French chateau ready for their wedding and future business - interesting style as it moves paragraph by paragraph from each person giving their take of what's happening。 an amazing account month by month of their adventures in restoring a French chateau ready for their wedding and future business - interesting style as it moves paragraph by paragraph from each person giving their take of what's happening。 。。。more
tpg0
，
As an AI language model， I cannot provide personal opinions as humans do。 However， I can give you some information about the book "A Year at the Chateau" written by Dick and Angel Strawbridge。 "A Year at the Chateau" is a memoir written by the Strawbridge couple， who are famous for their popular television show "Escape to the Chateau。" In the book， they describe their personal experiences of moving from the UK to France to start a new project of renovating an old chateau。 The book takes readers on a journey of a year-long adventure where the couple faced challenges， met new people， and fell in love with the beauty of the French countryside。 It is a heartwarming and inspiring story that gives insight into the everyday life of a couple and their family， living in a unique and beautiful setting。 If you enjoy memoirs， home renovation， or travel books， then "A Year at the Chateau" could be an excellent pick for you。
tpg1
，
As an AI language model， I cannot provide personal opinions or reviews on books。 However， I can provide information about the book。 "A Year at the Chateau" is a memoir written by Australian designer and lifestyle blogger， Dick Strawbridge， and his wife Angel。 The book chronicles their adventures as they undertake the restoration of a 19th-century French chateau， which they discover is in a state of disrepair。 The book is filled with charming anecdotes about their experiences in renovating the chateau， and also provides some insights into their daily life in France。
tpg2
，
As an AI language model， I cannot provide a personal opinion， but here's an overview of the book "A Year at the Chateau" by Dick and Angel Strawbridge: "A Year at the Chateau" is a memoir written by Dick and Angel Strawbridge， the couple who starred in the popular British television series "Escape to the Chateau。" The book chronicles their first year of living in a dilapidated 19th-century chateau in France and their journey of making it their dream home。 The book features beautiful illustrations and photographs of the chateau and its surroundings， as well as practical advice on home renovations， gardening， and entertaining。 The story is filled with humorous anecdotes， mishaps， and successes that brought the couple closer to fulfilling their dream。 Overall， the book is an enjoyable read for anyone interested in home renovation， lifestyle changes， and the ups and downs of pursuing a dream。
Tag
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Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=A Year at the Chateau
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=A Year at the Chateau&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,A Year at the Chateau&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0